‘NCIS’ actor Pauley Perrette has detailed a horrific attack she suffered at the hands of a person who she described as a “VERY psychotic homeless man” this week.

The 46 year old star, who plays forensic specialist Abby Sciuto on the CBS show, tweeted on Friday (November 13th) about an incident that took place the night before, in which she was brutally assaulted near her Hollywood home in Los Angeles and, according to her, was lucky to escape with her life.

Pauley PerettePauley Perette detailed a vicious attack she suffered at the hands of a homeless man earlier this week

She wrote a lengthy post on her personal computer before screen-grabbing it and posting via Twitter. Walking home on Thursday evening, she was ambushed by the culprit, who she names only as ‘William’. “He grabbed me so forcefully, pinned my arm, punched me in the nose, forehead repeatedly telling me he was going to kill me,” she wrote.

“Then he showed me how he was going to kill me. There was an empty garage behind me and I knew if he got me in there I was dead. I knew I couldn’t overcome him.”

In her note, Perrette revealed that she extricated herself from the frightening situation by talking, nor fighting back.. “I prayed my heart out and then finally said, ‘William is a beautiful name, I have a little nephew named William.’ That’s all I said, all I did, other than praying my heart out. He started to punch me again, and then said: ‘get the f*** out of here.’

And I did.” Perette assured her followers that the perpetrator was then arrested for felony assault, after she eventually regained her composure and gave a description to the police.

The incident has left the actor reflective, but still passionate about her belief in help for homeless people. “I am shaken and traumatized. My house, my beloved Hollywood. My beloved homeless people that I spend my life protecting. My life changed tonight… We need full mental health care. We need housing and help for the homeless. We need to support our cops. We need to not walk alone. I need to heal. I almost died tonight.”

More: Pauley Perrette’s ex arrested after allege breach of restraining order